Antalya

#beachvacation Getting There - Lara hotel is located 10 minutes from Lara beach in Antalya city. It is very close to Antalya airport. Attractions - The hotel located right next to the Duden park and lower Duden waterfalls, which is one of the best attractions in Antalya. Hotels - the hotel is on the cliff top and the all rooms have panoramic view of Mediterranean sea. Although the hotel doesn’t have the best facilities, the view is fantastic. The best thing of the hotel is the small private beach. Food & Restaurants - the hotel has a restaurant offering Turkish and European food. I liked every food I ordered. Overall we enjoyed our beach vacation there. #hotelstaycation

📍Destination: Antalya, Turkey 🌟Highlights: Historical sites, perfect combination of nature and humanities ✨Experience sharing: Antalya, Turkey, a magical place where history and nature intersect. 🏞️Here, I feel as if I have traveled through time and space, immersed in the glory of the ancient Roman Empire. 🏰Every ancient city, every temple, tells a thousand-year-old story. 🏩Accommodation recommendation: In Antalya, I chose a guesthouse in the old town, which is close to various attractions and surrounded by delicious food, allowing me to enjoy a wonderful night. ✨Itinerary recommendation: In Antalya, in addition to the previously shared Antalya Ancient City and Hadrian's Gate, there are several places that can be connected in one day! 🏰🗿The next morning, we chartered a car to the ancient city of Side, which was an important trade center in ancient times and known as the 'City of Pomegranates'. Then, we visited the temples of Apollo and Athena, the Aspendos ancient theater, and the ancient city of Perga. These places not only allowed me to appreciate the charm of ancient civilization, but also deepened my understanding of human wisdom and creativity. 🏛️🏟️ ✨Travel tips: Antalya was founded in the second century BC and is an important port in the Mediterranean. So when planning your itinerary, leave some extra time for this historic city. The ancient city of Side is a city with a long history, with many ancient Greek and Roman buildings scattered around, it is an open-air history museum of Turkey. Walking here is like being in the long river of history. 🏛️🏞️ The Aspendos ancient theater is one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in the Mediterranean region. After more than 1700 years, it still holds concerts every year. The acoustic design here is very unique, which is amazing! 🏟️🎵🎶 In the ancient city of Perga, you can see many ancient architectural ruins. Even if you only see these ruins, you can imagine its past glory and prosperity. It was once one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the world. 🏛️The glory and prosperity on the ruins are amazing!

What's surprising is that the Mediterranean is just below the mountains. The romance of mountains and sea colliding, you will understand when you come to Antalya! My itinerary this time is still the same as the first time I came ten years ago, first to stroll around the old city of Antalya~ Take a break when you are tired, and have a few cups of hot red wine. Hadrian's Gate, located at the entrance of the old city, is an ancient site in Antalya and one of the landmark buildings of the small city. It was built in the second century AD and has a history of nearly two thousand years. Antalya, founded in the second century BC, is located in the south of Turkey~ From the Eastern Roman Empire period, it has been an important port in the Mediterranean, and this status is still the same today. Hadrian is the name of a Roman emperor. In the second century AD, Emperor Hadrian, in order to commemorate his rule over Antalya, ordered the construction of this arch. The name of the arch naturally named after his name. Although it is old, the exquisite carvings on Hadrian's Gate are still clearly visible, and it is a model of existing Roman carvings in Turkey. After strolling around the old city~ Finally, I came to the pier of the old city to watch a sunset, and today's perfect ending! The next morning, I went to the ancient city of Side, 70 kilometers from the east coast of Antalya. This was an important trade center in ancient times. Side (also translated as: Xidai, Xidai, Xidai...) means pomegranate in the local language~ So Side is also called "City of Pomegranates" Side became Persian territory in the sixth century BC, and then became Greek, Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, Syrian Seleucid dynasty, Eastern Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire territory with the change of times, leaving many ancient sites. As one of the oldest cities in southern Turkey, today's Side is like an open-air history museum, with a large number of ancient Greek and Roman buildings scattered here~ The most famous is the Temple of Apollo and Athena. The temple faces the sea, with tall and elegant five pillars standing~ The temple was built in the second century AD, and it has not been completely destroyed. Many pillar stones have been preserved and re-erected on the original site~ Now it has become one of the most romantic and charming ancient sites in Turkey. Characteristics of Mediterranean climate: hot and dry in summer, mild and rainy in winter. Last time I came to Manavgat Waterfall and River, there was no water, and the water flow in winter is so large! This is a small stop on the way from Side to Aspendos, with beautiful scenery~ It's not bad to take a break! In addition to Hadrian's Gate and the ancient city of Side, the third place not to be missed in Antalya is the Aspendos Ancient Theater built in the second half of the 2nd century AD during the Roman Empire. The entire theater can accommodate up to 15,000 people. It is one of the best preserved ancient Roman theaters in the Mediterranean region. After more than 1700 years~ Now it still holds concerts every year. The unique acoustic design is a highlight of Aspendos. After many years, I am still deeply shocked! The last one is the ancient city of Perga. During the Greek rule in the 2nd century BC, it was once in its heyday~ Perga was one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the world at that time. This magnificent city was famous in history for its architecture and marble sculptures~ Its Roman baths, amazing mosaic floors and horseshoe-shaped stadiums, and the huge theater that could accommodate 12,000 people... Even now, just looking at these ruins, you can imagine its past glory and prosperity.

This trip to Turkey, what impressed me the most, is the towns along the D400 coastal highway. Antalya surrounded by snow mountains, the azure Fethiye, and the lovely town of Kaş, each left a deep impression on me. Especially Antalya, I love Antalya so much, I can't help but want to share every beautiful scenery here with you. Location: Antalya

Don't take a taxi when you come to Antalya (skip if you're rich), I wanted to take an Uber because I wasn't sure about the location of the hotel, and the price was 488 lira, which scared me a bit, it's only 12-13 kilometers from the city center. Later, I dragged my luggage to take the light rail, a taxi driver tried to solicit business, saying it was cheaper to go to the city center, 800 lira . As soon as you exit from the international department, you can see the light rail, go through a row of small pavilions and take the escalator up. My credit cards couldn't be used, I could only buy a card, and I could only use cash to buy a card. I spent 40 lira to buy a card twice (including card fee). Soon, the car came. If you want to go to Hadrian's Gate, get off at ISMETPASA station. This is the old city area, there are quite a few places to stay. Find a place close to the station to stay, it's convenient to go to the airport in the morning. From here to Hadrian's Gate, there are many specialty shops inside Hadrian's Gate, I just walked around, and soon I arrived at the seaside, there is a viewing platform that is very beautiful. Then I opened the navigation to go back to the hotel, on the way I went to the SOK mini supermarket, bought milk, bread, and cereal, less than 100 meters from the supermarket, I was back, didn't take any detours. In the afternoon, it was really good to go out, the temperature was very suitable, the sunlight shining on the red roofs, mosques, and the sea was really beautiful. This city is suitable for a two-day stay.

Antalya is one of the most attractive tourist cities in Turkey because of its unique geographical location on the Mediterranean coast. Antalya has beautiful natural places and historical sites. The region covers 600 kilometres of coastline with gorgeous sandy beaches, hidden coves and beautiful bays. Antalya is the country’s second biggest tourist destination after Istanbul. Antalya is not only about beaches, it is also a classically beautiful city, rich with history and traditional Turkish food. The city is bustling with markets, shopping malls, fancy hotels, cafés, restaurants, bars, beach clubs and etc. There’s so much to discover in this sunny, seaside city such as: Old Town (Kaleici), Old Harbor, Hadrian’s Gate, Perge Ruins, Aspendos Ruins and Theatre, Termessos Ruins, Duden Waterfalls and many more. #historicplaces